The Little House
by septemberburning
Summary: "Mommy, Daddy taught me to fight demons!" he told her with a grin a mile long. "Oh," Clary said, her eyebrows raising as she fixed Jace with stern face. "Did he now?". Jace gave her a look that to anyone else would've seemed totally innocent, but Clary saw the humor in his eyes. "That is totally untrue," he exclaimed. "I would never disobey that wishes of my dear wife."
1. Chapter 1

Little House

**A/N: hi everyone! im currently reading The Queen of Air and Darkness and I'm obsessed! i love Emma and Julian so much and Cassandra Clare has such a way with words. but i was seriously missing Clary and Jace and wanted to just right a cute little future domestic moment for them! I hope you enjoy! R&R!**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Mortal Instruments**_** and its characters do not belong to me. **

The house was small, yellow, and tucked away at the base of a hill. The cream wrap around porch was littered with children's toys and their colors seemed to match the flowers donning the bushes in the front yard. Clary stood in a room upstairs, in front of the open window that overlooked the backyard. Her paint smeared hands brushed back the curls stuck to her face, streaking paint across her forehead before returning to the canvas resting in front of her. She had become lost in the strokes of the brushes, the creativity that flowed from her fingers and onto the canvas, the smell of her various art supplies the permeated the room that was a combination of an art room and a study. All of these things that made Clary feel safe and the combination of the soft music flowing from her phone was _almost _enough to block out the sound of excited shouts and roars of laughter that floated from the backyard through the window. Almost.

Clary sighed and set her brush down in exchange for her white mug that read, "I love NY" with the word love replaced by a red heart. She sipped her tea as she studied her painting, a gift for Jocelyn and Luke as their anniversary was next month. She desperately wanted to finish it, but she had seldom been alone recently and the level of noise from outside had only elevated in the past thirty minutes. She decided she would have to finish it later, maybe when the house had fallen quiet with sleep. Clary absentmindedly rubbed her protruding stomach with her left hand, her wedding band glinting in the sunlight and marveled at how quickly her stomach had grown in the past few months. She was seven months pregnant, but her frame was tiny, and she could barely see her feet these days, much less fit into the majority of her clothes. She even had a slight waddle to her walk which caused a raucous fit of laughter from Rafe and Max when they visited which didn't help when it was combined with the fact that they had taken to imitation recently. But Clary didn't mind, she was too excited for the impending birth of her child and felt a surge of love flutter in her heart now as she made slow circles over her stomach and any time, really, her baby was brought up. The love she felt doubled, if not tripled as she moved to the window and peered into the backyard. Jace, his body as lean as ever even as he entered the end of his twenties, swung their son into the air before catching him back in his arms and smothering his red cheeks in kisses. Will laughed wildly, wrapping his tiny arms around his father's neck. A soft smile appeared on Clary's face as she watched the golden hair on both of their head's catch the afternoon light and shine as if a golden glow encased them. Physically, Will was a combination of the both of them. He had Jace's curls that were the color of molten gold and the shape of his mouth was the same as his father. But he had Clary's nose and his eyes were green like hers, only a softer, more muted shade. Sitting on his wrist was a star shaped birthmark that had been discovered the day he was born. While he favored both of them, it was impossibly unmistakable where his personality had come from. Will was just as mischievous as his father and it was all Clary could do to keep the both of them out of trouble. The two of them were as thick as thieves, as handsome as princes and as cunning as pirates. As Jace carried his son towards the door to go back inside, he turned his head and caught Clary's eyes. She felt her heart leap and soar, doing twists and flips and it was almost as if she was fifteen again seeing him for the first time. There was never a moment when Clary didn't feel as if Jace's love was palpable. It had always been, but in the past few years it had seem to intensify. Through their wedding, (a small, intimate ceremony that had been attended by their most treasured family and friends), and through the purchase of this small house, and then when Will had been born it had changed completely. It had become deeper, vaster. A sheath that had once covered just Clary and Jace but expanded to encompass Will.

Clary moved from the window and down the flight of stairs, appearing in the living room just as Jace closed the door to the backyard, their three-year-old resting on his hip. "Mommy!" Will cried excitedly, reaching for her. Clary took him in her arms and kissed his chubby cheeks while brushing the dirt from his forehead. "Mommy, Daddy taught me how to fight demons!" he told her, with a grin a mile long. "Oh," Clary said, her eyebrow raising as she fixed Jace with a stern face. "Did he now?" Jace gave her a look that to anyone who didn't know him would've seemed totally innocent, but Clary saw the humor in his eyes. "That is totally untrue," he exclaimed. "I would never disobey the wishes of my dear wife." He wrapped his arms around Clary, placing one hand around her shoulders and the other around her waist, resting a hand on her stomach. His lips brushed against her freckled cheek. Will laughed happily, a laugh that in its tones said he had never known unhappiness. "He did! He did!". "You're going to get me into some serious trouble, aren't you?" Jace asked Will. Clary rolled her eyes but smiled, nonetheless. "The two of you drive me absolutely crazy, did you know that?" Clary said as she set Will down and took his hand, leading him into the kitchen. "Crazy with _loooove_!" Jace smirked, following them. Clary sat down at the kitchen table, assessing the both of them, and Jace sat across form her pulling Will into his lap. "The two of you are so dirty, Isabelle's going to have a heart attack when she gets here." Isabelle and Simon, along with Magnus, Alec, Rafe, Max, Clary's parents and a handful of more of their relatives and friends were headed towards Clary and Jace's little yellow house in order to celebrate Clary's pregnancy; it was her baby shower. Baby showers were not a Shadowhunter tradition so Jace didn't care much for them and Clary hated planning parties but Isabelle, after discovering the joys of YouTube, had become besotted with them and after planning Clary's first one, she'd jumped at the chance to plan another. Isabelle and Simon were coming a few hours early in order to decorate and Clary knew the sight of all the dirt that decorated Jace and Will was going to have her pressing her fingers to her temple in annoyance. "Oh please," Jace grinned. "As if she could get mad at these faces." Clary smiled back, conceding that it was true. Isabelle dotted on Will, as did the rest of the family. "While that may be true, I think the two of you better hit the showers," Clary said. "Alright, Alright," Jace said, gathering Will up and heading upstairs.

Clary sat back, her smile becoming softer, her hands returning to her stomach as she watched their retreating figures. She saw the softness, the care and love, in the very way Jace carried Will. As if he was the most precious thing, as if he'd give his life for Will without a second thought, or a moment of hesitation. As if his sun set and rose with their child. The words Jace has whispered to her, words spoken years ago, only in the darkness of their bedroom once night had fallen. His worries, fears that clawed into his heart and lived there, that he would be a bad father. He thought the influence of his upbringing had run too deep within him to ever be better than what he'd had. Clary had stroked his face, calmed his fears. She knew there was no possibility of that. His heart was too good, his love and selflessness too pure, but even these words were not enough to smooth the worried line between his eyebrows. But the day Will had been born, the moment he'd been placed in Jace's arms, she knew that his worries evaporated. His amber eyes shone brightly, and while at first Clary thought it was tears, she'd recognized something else too. Love. She'd known that Will had just became the center of his universe and there would be no capacity for Jace to become like Valentine, the man who'd raised him. and as Clary closed her eyes against the sound of Jace and Will's combined fading laughter, she felt her heart reaffirm Jace's amazing fatherhood and knew with their second child, he'd be just as amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

Baby Shower

**A/N: okay so The Little House was supposed to be a oneshot but uhhhhhh I wanted to keep writing! The baby shower scene just wouldn't stop running around in my head so here we are! I hope you guys enjoy! R&R.**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Mortal Instruments**_** series and its characters do not belong to me.**

"Hello all!" Clary and Jace looked up from their chairs in the living room where they had been reading with Will as Isabelle Lightwood-Lewis breezed into their house (with a key Clary wasn't entirely sure where she had gotten) carrying a large box of decorations with her husband and Clary's _parabati, _Simon who carried an equally large box. Isabelle was wearing a dark green summer dress, with her midnight black hair pulled back into a braid, her slender and feminine neck bore a gold necklace. Clary and Jace moved to stand and exchange welcoming hugs and kisses with the other two adults. "Hello Jace, Hello Clary," Isabelle hugged the two of them and stooped to press a kiss to Clary's rounded belly. "Hello little Jace-and-Clary!" she said before standing, putting her hands on her hips and saying, "And where's my dashing nephew?". Will popped out from behind Jace's legs and exclaimed, "Here, Aunt Izzy! Here!". Isabelle scooped him into her arms and rained kisses on him while he squealed in delight. Simon exchanged a quick, warm hug with Jace before turning to Clary. "Fray," he said while engulfing her into his arms. "You're huge!". Clary felt her face break into a wide grin as she pulled away from Simon and lightly swatted his shoulder. "Simon!" she said. "I'm not quite sure I should be letting you talk to my wife like that," Jace said, but his eyes were shining with mirth. "All I meant was that she looks good. She looks happy," Simon said. Clary squeezed his hand and tried not think of times that weren't like this, times when happiness and a future like this seemed an impossibility. She put that from her mind as Isabelle turned, Will on her hip, and said "Okay, I see the three of you look nice," she approved of Clary's soft and billowy white dress, Jace's black thermal tee, dark jeans, and boots and Will's white shirt and dark green shorts. "And I _know _we look nice," Isabelle continued. "But let's get this house looking nice." Clary frowned, "Hey! It's not that bad!" While Clary and Jace weren't the best of interior designers, she thought they had done a pretty nice job of decorating their house. They had bookshelves in every room filled to the brim with all sorts of books, the walls were adorned with Clary's paintings and many framed photos of Clary, Jace, Will and all the people that comprised their lives and maybe the furniture wasn't the newest but Clary thought she done a pretty job of keeping Jace and Will's penchant of leaving stains to a minimum. "Well," Isabelle said, ignoring Clary's offense to what she'd said. "Let's get started!".

An hour and a half later, sparkling lights hung off the walls, reflecting off the framed photos, a table with cupcakes for the gender reveal had been set up next to a smaller table with a sign in sheet. A basket full of baby-related games sat on the floor next to the fireplace, and Izzy had placed a decorative cloth on the dining room table for the gifts. Crepe pink and blue streamers hung from the living room doorway. Similarly colored balloons were scattered on the floor as Jace and Simon sat at the dining room table, a little out of breath, from having to blow new ones after Will kept chasing down the balloons and delightedly popping them. "Keep blowing boys!" Isabelle called as she pinned a button to Clary. She very nearly poked Clary in the chest with the button that read "Mother to be!" (which Clary had noticed was quite a bit bigger since she'd gotten pregnant. Not that she really minded. And neither did Jace). Earlier, Isabelle had chased Jace down and jabbed him with a "Father to be!" pin, to which there was shouts of pain and grumbles of irritation from the blond. Clary thought this was all a little bit much but decided to keep her comments to herself as she saw Isabelle's hands fluttering over her, smoothing down her white dress and tucking stray curls back into place. Her eyes were shining. Clary felt worry seize her heart. "Izzy-" Clary started. "It's fine, it's fine," Isabelle rushed to cut Clary off and to swipe at her eyes. "Simon and I are still trying; we haven't given up yet. But let's not talk about that, okay? Let's just celebrate you tonight," she said, giving a shaky smile. "Isabelle, are you sure?" Clary took the other girl's hands. "Are you sure you're alright? This isn't too much?". Isabelle squeezed Clary's hands and said, "Oh, Clary, please. I'm happy to do this for you. We're sisters." Clary smiled softly and hugged Isabelle; her words were true. They had been sisters long before it had become official through marriage. Still, Clary made a mental note to talk to Isabelle later about her difficulty getting pregnant.

The doorbell rang and Isabelle moved to answer it. Clary wasn't entirely sure who all had been invited but felt herself beaming as Magnus, Alex, and their two sons came into the living room, flanked by Izzy. "Hello biscuit!" Magnus said, wagging his fingers at Clary. Jace and Alex embraced each other tightly. Alex had been away, visiting a different Institute, for several weeks now and the _parabati _had missed each other. They begin to delve into a conversation about Alex's travels and their shared family. Rafe and Max, both preteens now, gave quick hellos to their aunts and uncles before they found Will and the three of them ran out the back door. Magnus kissed Clary's cheek and said, "You're positively glowing!" Alex broke from his conversation with Jace and moved to hug Clary as she good-heartedly grumbled to Magnus, "I don't _feel_ glowing. I feel like a freaking whale." "Nonsense," Jace claimed as he joined the conversation, "Magnus is right; you look beautiful." Clary raised her eyebrow and retorted, "Well if It was up to you, I'd never not look like this!" This earned chuckles from around the room. Jace put his around Clary's waist, a mischievous in his eyes. "Woman, when you look like that, how could I not wanna put more of those things in you?" he gestured to her belly. "_Jace_!" Clary's cheeks went pink.

Hours passed unnoticed as more guests started to pile into the Herondale's little yellow house. Jocelyn and Luke had arrived, Luke struggling into the house with various boxes while Jocelyn fretted over Clary; "How do you feel? You shouldn't be on your feet so much, baby. Oh Clary, you look just beautiful. You know it's going to be so different with _two _children now! Will's going to just love being a big brother!". Maia and Bat arrived, Maia hugging Clary tightly. Emma Carstairs, Julian Blackthorn and the rest of the Blackthorns entered the house and Clary noticed that the sorrow that had been etched into their young faces at the loss of their sister had softened. She knew it would never fully be gone, but she was glad that it didn't weigh on them so heavily. Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs, and Mina (carrying a very disgruntled looking Church) came. Jace snuggled the cat into his arms and Tessa looked delighted to see Jocelyn. Maryse Lightwood stepped quietly into the room that was roaring with conversation, laughter, sweet memories of the past. Clary noticed that she had a heavy look in her eyes, one that said she had seen great sadness. Even though years had passed, the loss of her child and her once husband had become vines tangling around her, growing thorns that still pricked every now and again. But Clary's heart blossomed when she saw the way Maryse's blue eye lit up when Rafe, Max, and Will raced into the room. "Grandma!" they called as they surrounded her. She gathered Will into her arms and stepped into the embraces offered by Rafe and Max. Clary watched Jace's long legs stride across the room as he walked to Maryse and pulled her in tightly for a hug, followed by Izzy and Alec. "Congratulations to you and Clary," Clary heard Maryse's clear voice as she smiled at Jace. "A child is such a blessing,". Jace returned her smile, the same amount of warmth in his bright eyes.

A few more people floated in and the festivities continued. The soft music was a contrast to the loudness of the people in the house who had seemed to only grow louder as the mason jar dispenser of sangria became emptier. Clary thought, rather amusedly, to herself that she was glad most of the people had taken a portal here as she noticed more than a few flushed faces. Even though this was Clary's party, she was content to sit back and let Isabelle take the reins. Clary sat happily on the couch, absentmindedly rubbing her belly and watching everybody she loved most interact. The love in the room was almost palpable. Most of the people here were Shadowhunters by nature, a life that could be harsh and unforgiving, but this moment was the exact opposite. It was soft, and Clary floated through the night in a daze of happiness, taking pictures, participating in the games Izzy organized, answering pregnancy related questions, and watching Jace dote on Will, showing him off to anybody who was near. Clary knew it wasn't a prideful sort of boasting, but more the kind that said "_Look at him, look how good he is. That came from me"._ Besides, she knew nobody really cared as they all doted on Will the first chance they got. Clary's musings were interrupted by Isabelle clapping her hands together and saying quite loudly and rather excitedly, "Okay, everybody! It's time for the gender reveal!". A murmur of excitement went through the party goers of "I hope it's a girl!" or "I think it's a boy!" as Jace helped Clary to her feet and they walked to the cupcake table. "What do you think, Mrs. Herondale? Another mini me or a mini you?" Jace grinned at her but Clary knew he didn't care. Any child that they had would know only unconditional love, still she played along. "Dear Angel, another one of you and I just might lose my mind!" They both picked up a cupcake and paused as they heard Isabelle call, "Wait! Wait! Simon, get the camera, where's the camera!" Clary looked into Jace's face, her own bemusement at Izzy's franticness mirrored in his tawny eyes. As Simon pointed the video recorder in their direction and Alex held up the camera, Isabelle said, "Okay, okay! Jace, Clary, go ahead,". Clary and Jace bit into their respective cupcakes and looked at the inside of the treat with a synchronicity that came with years of being together. The inside was pink. Jace gasped while Clary exclaimed, "It's a girl!". Their house erupted into shouts of "I knew it!" and the sound of clapping. Clary saw Jace's face explode into a grin that he rarely let himself show to anyone beside those closest to him. A grin that light up his face and made his eyes shine more brilliant than the stars. "A girl," he murmured, as if in a trance, "A daughter." Clary laughed as he grabbed her face, kissing her long and hard and then pressing his lips to her forehead, her chin, her nose, her cheeks. "I love you,' he whispered, his eyes shining. "I love you so much and we're having a daughter,". They were briefly separated as the people in attendance swarmed them. Jocelyn pulled Clary into her arms, around Will who sat on her hip and said, "Oh Clary, a daughter!" while Alex clapped Jace on the shoulder, beaming, and said, "Congratulations, brother." There were many "Congratulations" to be told, kisses to be given and hugs to be shared. Clary felt her eyes shining just as Jace's had by the time all the exchanges were had, and even through unwrapping presents that consisted of blankets, clothing, books, bottles, and toys (that Will believed were for him and gathered happily in his arms). An hour later, after the presents had been unwrapped, Clary stood beside Jace, tucked in his side, with a tiring Will in his shoulder. "Thank you," Clary said smiling. "Thank you all for coming. You all mean so much to us, to our family, and I'm just so thankful for everyone of you. The gifts are so appreciated but the time that we were able to spend together tonight will be held so close to our hearts," she glanced around the room, seeing nothing but the smiling faces of the people she loved most. "Jace, Will, and I love you all very much. And I know our new baby girl will, too."

Clary's cheeks were red, by the time she and Jace had said goodbye to everybody, from the number of kisses she'd received. "Goodnight baby," Jocelyn said after Luke had hugged Clary and Jace. "Call me tomorrow okay?" Her hand cupped Clary's cheek in a way that was familiar, and reminiscent of Clary's childhood. "I'm so happy for you both. I love you very much," She kissed Jace's cheeks and laid a soft hand on Will's back before stepping outside and following Luke into the quiet evening. Jace softly closed the door and turned the lock before linking fingers with Clary and heading towards Will's room. Jace's deft hands were able to switch Will into his nightclothes and tuck him into his bed without the child ever stirring from his sleep. Jace moved the golden curls from his forehead and kissed him softly and began to sing a tune that was familiar to Clary in the way that she heard him sing this lullaby to Will every night and yet unfamiliar in the way that she didn't quite understand the lyrics. He'd once said it was a lullaby Maryse had sung to him as a child. " _Il y a longtemps que jet'aime,_" Jace whispered softly and Clary kissed Will's forehead as well and the two of them padded softly down the hall to their room.

Jace stretched out in the large canopy bed that had been an indulgence when they'd been decorating their room. His eyes watched Clary as she sat at the vanity, rubbing a salve given to her by her mother that was supposed to stop stretchmarks from forming. It smelt like mint. "Today was a good day," Jace started softly. Clary closed the jar to the salve and joined him on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, pressed his lips into her hair, and covered the hand that rested on her tummy with his own. "It was," Clary murmured. "Very good,". "I can't believe this is my life, our life," Jace's voice had dropped to a whisper. "What do you mean?" Clary whispered back. "Every day, I wake up beside you. Every day Will runs in here and jumps on us until we're black and blue and we finally get up. Every weekend, we have dinner with Alec and Magnus and Izzy and Simon. We see our parents regularly and every day we go to work, rebuilding life for Shadowhunters. It's just our life. It's routine almost, but it never gets old. Every morning, I wake up, excited to do it all again. It's normal. It's boring. It's amazing. It's wonderful. We're having a daughter," By the time he stopped talking, he was looking into Clary's eyes, his own wide and almost electric. Clary shifted in his arms and put her hands on his face. "I know," she said. "Who would've thought this would be our life?" "I'm so grateful," Jace looked into her eyes, searching for the understanding and finding it in her emerald green eyes. "By the Angel Clary, I'm so grateful," He kissed her then. Soft and sweet, and with the promise of a thousand more to come.


End file.
